One quarterback comes off a superb opener, the other off a mediocre performance.

The switch heading into Thursday night’s Broncos-Chiefs matchup in Kansas City is the Chiefs’ Alex Smith had the big game and Denver’s Peyton Manning struggled.

The Chiefs manhandled the Texans in Houston with Smith going 22 of 33 for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. His passer rating against J.J. Watt and company was an outstanding 118.6.
In the Broncos’ 19-13 home victory against Baltimore, Manning was 24 for 40 for a meager 175 yards and no touchdowns with one interception and a 59.9 rating.

“I’m sure offensively I speak for a lot of guys that we certainly want to play better. I feel like that Thursday probably couldn’t come soon enough,” Manning said.

Nor could it come quickly enough for the Chiefs, who are eager to build off their impressive start by further establishing their credentials against Denver. The Chiefs are 3-point favorites, yet another change to recent trends in this AFC West series, which dates back to the AFL when the Chiefs were the Dallas Texans.

Post picks

Line: Chiefs -3; O/U: 41 ¹/₂

Blezow: Chiefs

Cannizzaro: Broncos

Charleen: Chiefs

Costello: Broncos

Hondo: Chiefs

Hubbuch: Chiefs

Loftis: Broncos

Rico: Chiefs, Under

Serby: Chiefs

Schwartz: Chiefs

Willis: Chiefs

“I think for us the one thing is win the division,” Smith said. “That’s the focus, right? … We’ve got a chance against the division champions at our place, so it starts with this week.”

A victory in Kansas City would give Manning and the Broncos a record 13th consecutive divisional road win. Manning is 13-1 lifetime against the Chiefs.

“I don’t know if it’s really worth trying to explain,” Manning said. “It’s in the past. Here we are, in a new season, that’s kind of where I guess I’m thinking the most, playing a good team at home.”

Manning was hounded first by the boo-birds in Week 1 and then was acerbic with reporters after stretching his streak to 21 drives, including the preseason, without a touchdown celebration.

Asked about landing on the injury report with a sore back courtesy of all those hard hits from the Ravens, Manning decided to deliver his own evaluation of those asking all the questions.

“This is not a healthy group, by any means,” Manning cracked.

This one surely has gout. Bunions, that one.

Carpel tunnel over here “from all the texting of his sources.”

And the drive-time radio host, he’s got laryngitis “from ripping me all week” plus “the rash that he has that’s unidentified.”

“But I never hear you guys complain about it, so I’m not going to complain about it. In many ways, you guys inspire me,” Manning dead-panned. “But, no, I was kind of surprised that I was on it, to tell you the truth. But I think like a lot of guys, it was a pretty physical game on Sunday.”

And just like that, Manning went from being the thermometer to being the thermostat, setting the tone for the team instead of reflecting the mood surrounding it.

“I think we have to keep reminding ourselves around here that we did actually win the game and that we are 1-0. Thank goodness because I can’t imagine what it would have been like had we lost the game,” Manning said.